Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter
National Football Foundation
SIXTH 2026 GRINOLD CHAPTER NEW ENGLAND DIVISION III FOOTBALL WEEKLY RANKINGS RELEASED
The seventh Grinold Chapter New England Division III Football Coaches poll of the 2026 season has been tabulated, and Endicott College holds the number one spot for the seventh straight week. The New England Small College Athletic Conference, the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference and the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference all are represented by three teams in the poll’s top 10.
The Gulls received 10 of 12 first place votes to top Springfield College receiving one first place vote by 12 points in the poll. Trinity College in third place leads two other NESCAC teams in the poll and received one vote for the top spot. Amherst College is fourth and Bridgewater State is fifth in this week’s rankings. The poll is rounded out by Wesleyan University, MIT, Framingham State, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, and Salve Regina.
The New England Division III Football Poll is presented by the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation, which also serves as the title sponsor of the weekly Gold Helmet Awards presented by the New England Football Writers Association throughout the season.
GRINOLD CHAPTER NEW ENGLAND DIVISION III FOOTBALL POLL
Week #7 – November 9, 2026
Rank School (First Place Votes), Record, Points, Previous Rank
1 Endicott (10), 9-0,118, 1
2 Springfield (1), 8-1,106, 2
3 Trinity (1), 8-0, 99, 3
4 Amherst, 7-1, 75, 5
5 Bridgewater, 7-1,73, 6
6 Wesleyan, 7-1,66, 4
7 MIT, 6-2, 39, 8
8 Framingham, 6-2, 30, receiving votes
Massachusetts Maritime, 6-2,30, 7
10 Salve Regina, 6-3, 13, receiving votes
Also Receiving Votes: Williams (5), Tufts (3), WPI (3), Worcester State (1)
19 Named to the Grinold Chapter 2026 Scholar-Athlete Class
Nineteen high school senior football players representing 11 different high schools have been selected to the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter 2026 Scholar-Athtete class.
The awards are given to those graduating seniors in the Chapter footprint who have achieved excellence on the gridiron, in the classroom, and in the community.
"We are extremely proud and excited to honor this very talented group of amazing young men," Chapter Executive Director Jim Seavey said. "Their accomplishments on the field speak for themselves. It is what they do in their free time to enhance their schools and their communities, normally wIthout any fanfare, is what truly sets them apart."
The awardees will be attending 17 different colleges in Divisions I, II, and III, including Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Ivy League, Coastal Athletic Association, Northeast 10, Conference of New England, Liberty League, and New England Small College Athletic Conference institutions.
The Chapter has honored the schaolar-athletes since 1976. Over that time 1,046 young men have received the honor.
The complete list of honorees is available here.
UMass’ Watson III, Husson's Davis Named 2026 Week 10 Recipients of
NEFW/Grinold Chapter Gold Helmet Awards
UMass senior quarterback William “Pop” Watson III, and Husson University senior wide receiver/ running back Brett Davis are this week’s recipients of the New England Football Writers Association Gold Helmet Awards presented by the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation.
Watson III takes home his second Gold Helmet of the season following the Minutemen’s 31-30 overtime win against Ball State. A native of Springfield, Mass., a graduate of Springfield Central High School and a transfer from Virginia Tech, Watson III completed 17 of 25 passes for a career-high 302 yards including a 64-yard TD pass. It was the longest completion in his UMass career. Watson III completed four passes of at least 41 yards. He also ran the ball eight times for 40 yards including a 12-yard run in overtime followed by a 13-yard TD run which set the stage for the game-winning extra point. He also had a one-yard TD run in the third quarter giving UMass a 20-14 lead.
Davis, from Dover N.H., and a graduate of Dover High School, registered 258 all-purpose yards in a 42-14 win over Nichols. He carried the ball 11 times for 154 yards and his 14 yards per carry average is the fifth best in program history. He had touchdown runs of 23 and 13 yards and caught a 12-yard TD pass. On the day, Davis had the 154 rushing yards, caught three passes for 19 yards, returned two punts for 33 yards and added a 52-yards kickoff return.
For the twelfth straight year, the Jack Grinold/Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation is the presenting sponsor for both the weekly and end-of-year Gold Helmet Awards presented to student-athletes from FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III institutions throughout New England. The awards will be presented at the NEFW Captains and Awards Banquet on December 10 at the Renaissance Framingham Hotel & Conference Center.
For more information on the Gold Helmet Awards and the New England Football Writers Association, please visit www.newenglandfootballwriters.com
2026 NEW ENGLAND FOOTBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION
WEEKLY GRINOLD CHAPTER GOLD HELMET AWARD RECIPIENTS
Division I (FBS/FCS) Division II/III
September 6 William “Pop” Watson, III, UMass Mathias Fowler, Framingham
September 13 Joquez Smith, New Hampshire Shea Lynch, Endicott
September 20 Dante Reno, Yale Christian Shapiro, Tufts
September 27 Xander Benson, Harvard Bryan Ferreira, Endicott
October 4 Dante Reno, Yale Michael Mendicino, Springfield
October 11 Charlie Smith, Harvard Chris Donohue, Dean
October 18 Harrison Keith, Dartmouth Mekhi Wilson, UMass Dartmouth
October 25 Bo MacCormack, III, Boston College Nathan Napier, WPI
November 1 Joseph Williams, Holy Cross Jack Fabiano, Williams
November 8 William "Pop" Watson, III, UMass Brett Davis, Husson
Milton Academy's Giovanni named to NFF Team of Distinction
2026 Milton Academy graduate Joe Giovanni has been named to the National Football Foundation 2026 Team of Distinction honoring the nation's top high school scholar-athletes who represent the future leaders of the game and have excelled at the very highest levels in the classroom, on the field and by making an impact in their communities. Giovanni is one of 63 honorees from a nationwide pool of over 3,500 high school football scholar-athletes as selected by the regional chapters of the NFF.
A four-year starter at wide receiver and defensive back for the Mustangs, Giovanni was a two-time Independent School League All-Star selection. Over the course of his junior and senior seasons, Giovanni snared 10 interceptions. A standout of special teams, Giovanni was Milton Academy's primary return specialist on both punts and kickoffs and had five returns for touchdowns over the past two years. In addition to football, Giovanni also competed tot he Mustangs' basketball and track teams.
Giovanni will attend Harvard University in the fall and has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Crimson.